Do you really need to wait a certain amount of time between applying vitamin C serum or treatmentย to avoid different pH levels conflicting?
This is one skincare โruleโ that has no scientificย backing. If you research it, for example, none of the studies that look at topical vitamin C ever use or specify any wait time. They still all displayed positive results, so waiting a set amount of time doesnโt seem to matter much. A lot of variables have been tested by actual scientists, such as different formulas, and liposomes, so if someone thought that just waiting 20-30 minutes would make a difference then weโd heard of it by now.
Also, how does anyone figure out that their skinโs pH โresetsโ over those arbitrary time frames? Did they measure it somehow? Because it takes a lot of factors (e.g. water quality, cleanserโs formula, etc.) and is highly individual. Skin surfaceโs ideal pH is not just one set value โ itโs a broad range from pH 4.0 all the way to 6.0.ย My own skinโs ideal pH and how long it takes to recover would most likely be different from yours. Itโs a bit of a stretch to believe that give or take 30 minutes makes any difference. And according to one study onย PudMed, โthe skin pH recovery needs time up to several hours before it can reach the physiological levelโ.
Another thing to consider is what happens with skin moisture during those waiting periods. Even just rinsing with lukewarm water disrupts the skinโs moisture barrier.ย If someoneโs skin is feeling dry or tight, then a bit of moisturiser of some sort would be nice. But you canโt because you have to wait, so what would these bloggers do? Let skin dehydrate for half an hour or โno vitamin C for you!โ?
Some say a โpH-adjusting tonerโ can be used in lieu of (or in addition to) wait time.ย Using this kind of toner isnโt enough to substantially change how effective a product with pH-dependent active is at penetrating the skin. There is simply no scientific basis for them โย they cannot instantly lower the skinโs surfaceโs pH in any meaningful way. Even if it does,ย pH-dependent ingredients depend on the productโs formula and its pH, not theย skinโs!ย If toners help the product work better in any way, itโs more likely because they dampen (and soften) skin, which can enhance the absorption of certain products.
If someone sees a noticeable difference by stretching their skincare routine out, thatโs perfectly fine, but that doesnโt mean everyone has to subscribe to that dogma seeing as the evidence or logic for that particular habit isnโt exactly rock solid.
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